


Heart of Ink

by phantomthief_fee



Category: Bendy and the Ink Machine, Persona 5
Genre: Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Persona 5 AU, Persona 5 Spoilers, Suicide Attempt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-06
Updated: 2017-11-11
Packaged: 2019-01-30 06:18:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12647838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phantomthief_fee/pseuds/phantomthief_fee
Summary: After being charged with assault for trying to protect a woman from being raped, Henry Ross finds his life turned upside down as he's shipped off to the big city to serve his probation under the watchful eye of Norman Polk. Henry assumes he'll just serve out his probation and be done with it. But his year of probation turns out to be anything but ordinary.





	1. Characters

Characters

Phantom Thieves of Hearts

Henry (Protag): Codename Joker. A 16-year-old high school student, forced to transfer schools due to an assault charge pinned on him after he saved a woman from being raped by a prominent politician. Although he can seem meek and mild-mannered, Henry has a strong sense of justice, and a desire to right the wrongs he sees in the world. He doesn’t want to hurt people, he just wants to make them see the error of their ways. He’s a very kind and compassionate young man who just wants to make the world a better place.

Persona: Vishnu (Fool)

Wally (Ryuji): Codename Skull. Former class president and current janitorial assistant. Wally is loud and a little boisterous, always complaining about something. He’s a natural born class clown, always wanting to make people smile. He was a bit more straightlaced and respectable as student council president but still retained his carefree nature. He was a well-loved president who worked his hardest to keep up with the students' demands and make things better for those he served. After being disgraced by Murray Hill, he grew more cynical and prone to complaining, although he never slacked off. He comes from a poor family, something that Murray used when he was trying to displace Wally. Not being extremely athletically gifted, he saw academics as his only way out. If he could get a scholarship he’d be able to get a good job. After Murray framed him for embezzlement, something which was never actually proven, he lost a lot of his former friends, including Susie and Alice Campbell. Although Wally can be a troublemaker, he does care about other people quite a bit, and embraces his newfound powers to try and fix the world. Being a part of the Thieves teaches him some self-control, and allows him to regain some of his lost dignity.

Persona: Thor (Chariot)

Susie (Ann): Codename Star. Vice president of the student council, sister of the student council president. Susie can be very bossy and opinionated, but more than anything she has a desire to please others. Her and Alice’s mother is very strict, demanding only the best from her daughters. Susie does whatever she can to make everyone around her happy, which is what led her to join the student council in the first place. When Murray Hill took over the student council, he set his sights on Susie and Alice. Of the two sisters, he found Susie easier to manipulate. She tried to reject his advances for as long as she could, but he used her friendship with a younger student, Cordelia, to get her to go out with him. Due to her perceived relationship with Murray, Susie doesn’t have a lot of friends aside from Cordelia. Although she has a volatile personality, Susie does eventually forgive. Her mother always taught her that holding grudges will only eat her up inside. She learns to become more confident through the Thieves, becoming more comfortable with who she is.

Persona: Ishtar (Lovers)

Sammy (Yusuke): Codename Maestro. A haughty music student a prestigious academy for the arts. He’s the latest in a long line of proteges produced by Sebastian Sangster. Sammy is a talented composer, devoting his life to the pursuit of making music. Both his parents died when he was very young, leading him to be taken in by Sebastian since Sammy’s mother knew Sangster prior to her death. Although he doesn’t usually resort to violence, Sammy has a rather volatile temper and has been known to get into fights with other students. When he sees Susie on a train, he chases after her, desperate to write a song about her. When the Thieves initially bring up the possibility of his mentor being an art thief, Sammy yells at them to get out of the house. Although he eventually lets Susie back in, he’s not happy about the suggestion. Once the truth is revealed to him, he goes after Sangster with a vengeance. Through the Thieves, he learns to work better with other people, and he learns more about himself and his music.

Persona: Oberon (Emperor)

Alice (Makoto): Codename Angel. Student Council president. Alice comes across as rather rigid and straightlaced. She and Susie are twins, but of the two Alice is the older one. As such, Alice has adopted a sort of older sister type personality. Like her sister, she has a constant need to please others, which is also the reason why she joined the student council in the first place as well. When Murray Hill took over the student council, he knew he would never get anywhere with Alice, so he chose to manipulate Susie instead. Susie didn’t tell Alice what was happening to her, for fear that her sister would do something drastic that would hurt Alice’s image at the school. So a wedge was driven between the sisters by Murray Hill, a wedge that was driven even further in one Susie joined the Phantom Thieves. Alice quickly notices her sister’s strange behaviour and sets to work trying to figure out what is going on. She learns the group’s true identities when Wally lets slip something in a conversation with Henry, and Alice demands that they prove their justice by changing the heart of a mob boss extorting students at the school. After being accused of being useless by her sister, Alice ends up the victim of blackmail by the mobster. After joining the Phantom Thieves, Alice learns to show her true self a bit more, and that she doesn’t need to be perfect all the time.

Persona: Isis (Priestess)

Allison (Futaba): Codename Oracle. A tech-savvy shut-in who’s been placed in Norman’s care after being passed from relative to relative. Two years ago her mother died under suspicious circumstances, and her family blames her for her mother Helen’s death. Due to this constant bullying by her family members, Allison has begun to believe it was her fault that her mother died, even going so far as to believe that her death would bring her mother back to life. Allison hasn’t gone to school since graduating middle school, even though she should be a first-year high school student by this point. After listening in on Leblanc and learning the true identity of the Phantom Thieves, she asks them to change her heart in exchange for her help against a group of hackers called Medjed. It takes a bit for the thieves to correctly deduce Allison’s identity, but once they do they head in. Eventually, Allison herself is drawn in, becoming her own treasure as she’s forced to face her fears. After joining the thieves, she begins to come out of her shell and deal with her issues. With Henry’s help, of course.

Persona: Clotho (Fortune)

Bendy (Morgana): Codename Bendy, because who the fuck is gonna think that’s a real name? Bendy is a creature that resembles a small cartoon demon, but can also turn into a car for some reason. They think it’s because he looks like a cat, even though he vehemently insists that he is not one. He’s found by Wally and Henry in Murray’s palace. Bendy claims that he was once human, but doesn’t remember how he got to be the way he currently is. In the real world, he resembles nothing more than a plush toy. Normal people can’t hear him talking. They just hear squeaking noises. He serves as a sort of guide for the thieves in the beginning as they’re learning how to navigate the Metaverse. He enjoys teasing Sammy and Wally quite a bit since the two make it so easy. He and Boris are the closest of all the thieves for reasons even Bendy can’t explain. The two meet up after Bendy is basically rendered obsolete by Allison’s presence, and he tries to go to Boris’ father’s palace on his own. It’s later revealed that Bendy was created by Igor in order to aid Henry on his journey. After Yaldabaoth is defeated, Bendy’s demonic form vanishes, and he’s given a human one, due to Boris’ belief that Bendy could, in fact, become human.

Persona: Surt (Magician)

Boris (Haru): Codename Wolf. Son of the president of Wulfric Foods. Boris is a shy and soft-spoken young man whose only desire is to help everyone he can. He was forced into an arranged marriage with the daughter of another CEO, Karen Wheeler, although Boris REALLY doesn’t want to go through with it. After his father’s death, he breaks off the marriage. Boris finds Bendy after his falling out with the thieves and ends up dragged into the palace, awakening to his persona. Not wanting to get married, he agrees to work with Bendy to change his father’s heart. When approached by the other thieves to join their cause, he politely declines, stating that he’ll only join them once they know their own path. He and Bendy do end up joining the other thieves when Karen backhands him and throws Bendy into a puddle, which is when Boris reveals his true motivations for wanting to change his father’s heart. Once his father is defeated, Boris steps up to take control of the company, trying to make conditions for the workers better while undoing all the wrongs his father has done. He learns that he doesn’t have to just blindly do what he’s told to do and that his own happiness is important.

Persona: Anubis (Judgement)

Joey (Akechi): Codename Crow. A childhood friend of Henry’s and the illegitimate son of a powerful politician. At first glance, Joey Drew seems to have a life many would kill for. He’s a famous detective who’s beloved by all, with perfect grades at his school. In reality, his life is anything but perfect. His mother was driven to suicide by her family members for giving birth to him, leading him to conclude that he can’t trust anyone but himself and vow revenge against his father. Upon awakening to his persona and realizing he could drive people insane, he began to cause real-world accidents so that he could solve the cases and gain fame. He then approached his father with the offer that he could...take care of his father’s enemies. Upon realizing Henry was being moved to the town Joey was operating in, he reached out in an attempt to bring Henry into his fold. Although he openly condemns the Phantom Thieves on TV, he lets Henry know that he will support his friend no matter what. After he assassinates Boris’ father, he approaches Henry, wanting to join the Phantom Thieves. He joins them in their venture into Natalia Campbell’s palace, before betraying them. Although Joey claims he doesn’t want to kill Henry when he confronts his friend in the interrogation room, he still shoots him anyway. Joey shows no remorse for his actions, at least not until the team has defeated him in his father’s palace.

Persona: Lucifer (Star)

.

Villains

Murray Hill (Kamoshida): A teacher and the faculty advisor for the student council. The other teachers at the school think of him as a jovial man who wants to help the students. In reality, he’s a greedy and lustful predator, who wants nothing more than to prey on the girls of the student council. When Wally got in his way, he pinned the embezzling of student council funds on the boy and got him suspended for a month and bumped to janitorial duty. After being rejected by both Susie and Alice, he takes his frustration out on one of the younger members of the student council, Cordelia Bell, driving her to the point of attempted suicide. Once the Phantom Thieves steal his heart, he admits his crimes and is fired from the school.

Sebastian Sangster (Madarame): A well-regarded composer and artist. He’s seen as a kind and compassionate man who wants nothing more than to share art with the world. The truth, however, is that he’s been stealing his students’ work and passing it off as his own. He was inspired to do this after the death of Sammy’s mother Tarana when he was given full custody of the young boy. Seeing the control he had over him, he started taking in other students and stealing their work, as he had stolen the painting Tarana had done of her and her son. Once the Phantom Thieves steal his heart, he comes clean at a press conference and is stripped of all his awards and prestige.

Victor Zima (Kaneshiro): A mob boss who rose up in the underworld due to his clever use of blackmail. He thinks of himself as a businessman and a banker. The thieves go after him after Alice demands they prove their justice by taking him down. When the thieves can’t find him, Alice charges in on her own and becomes one of Zima’s blackmail victims. Once he’s defeated, he deletes the blackmail material and turns himself in to the police.

Ansgar Wulfric (Okumura): The president of Wulfric Foods and the founder of Big Bang Burger. He has only one son, Boris, and constantly bemoans the fact that his son isn’t as driven as he is. He doesn’t pretend to be anything but what he is, a ruthless and cruel businessman who will do anything to achieve wealth and status. He arranged for Boris to marry Karen Wheeler in order to further boost his status and propel him into the political field. The thieves’ attention was directed to Ansgar after Alice steals information from her mother’s computer that reveals Ansgar has been benefitting from the mental shutdowns of his competitors. After being defeated by the thieves, Joey kills his Shadow self, and the real Ansgar dies during a press conference in which he tries to come clean.

Karen Wheeler (Sugimura): The spoiled daughter of a CEO, she’s been promised to Boris by his father Ansgar. She wears expensive clothing and jewellery at all times to flaunt her wealth and refuses to walk anywhere or mingle with ‘common’ people. She doesn’t care about Boris’ feelings, only desiring a husband to generate an income for her to use for her extravagant lifestyle. She’s a party girl who would never actually be faithful to her husband. She wants to have a husband to show off to her other socialite friends and to have sex with whenever she likes. She pressures him to have sex with her quite often, although Boris always refuses. Once Ansgar dies, Karen is swiftly kicked to the curb.

Bartholomew Heidrich (Shido): A powerful politician who is a member of the majority party and has his eye set on the presidency. He’s willing to do whatever it takes in order to gain power and has Yaldabaoth’s support due to his authoritarian nature. Henry ran into a heavily intoxicated Heidrich on his way home one day while Heidrich was trying to rape a female subordinate. After Henry got in between the two of them and Heidrich lost his balance and fell, Heidrich accused Henry of supposed violence, and even got the boy charged with assault. Heidrich specifically told the police not to make his involvement known, making it nearly impossible for Henry to try and clear his name after he gains his powers. As the thieves begin to gain popularity, Heidrich sets them up to reach the height of their popularity before framing them for the murder of Boris’ father, causing their popularity to plummet. He then arranges for Joey to join the thieves and get them arrested once they complete Natalia Campbell’s palace. The plan works and Henry is arrested and supposedly killed by Joey. Once the thieves realize Heidrich is behind everything, they immediately get to work changing his heart. Heidrich, knowing how this works, does everything he can to prevent their success. The thieves do succeed in the end, but without defeating Yaldabaoth, Heidrich can’t be completely deposed.

.

Side Characters

Norman Polk (Sojiro): A former government worker and friend of Helen Pendle. After Helen died under suspicious circumstances, Norman took custody of Allison. He became rather concerned about Allison’s safety, due to an SOS message Helen sent him prior to her death, and quit his job to start a cafe called Leblanc. He’s a friend of Henry’s parents as well and offers to take care of Henry during his probation. Norman himself has a bit of a rough past and knows Henry is a genuinely good kid. Initially, he neither knows nor cares about Henry’s thief antics, although he later finds out after finding Allison’s calling card. Although he’s initially furious about Allison’s involvement with the thieves, she eventually convinces him to help her and the other thieves. He’s the one to tell the thieves that Bartholomew Heidrich is likely the one behind all the mental shutdowns. He helps hide Henry after Henry fakes his death, which leads to him being arrested by Heidrich’s men. Norman is eventually released due to lack of evidence. On Henry’s last day with him, Norman tells him he’s allowed to come back any time he wants. The attic will always be his.

Thomas Connors (Kawakami): Henry’s homeroom and English teacher. Thomas is a competent and professional teacher, never letting his students get too close to him. He’s not thrilled that Henry is being put in his class, but pities the kid the second he sees him. In addition to being a teacher, Thomas also moonlights as a butler for a butler service. Henry finds out about Thomas’ other profession when Susie and Cordelia see a flyer for the butler service and decide to call and hire a ‘hot’ butler. They convince Henry to come along so that they won’t be alone if they get nervous. In the end, the girls panic and hide when Thomas shows up. Thomas is less than pleased upon discovering his students are his clients but gives Henry his card nonetheless. Curious about why Thomas is working this second job, Henry calls Thomas to the cafe. Thomas tells Henry outright that he’s being blackmailed by a former student’s family after he was forced to cut off contact with said student by the principal, which the family claims caused the student’s car crash and subsequent death. He asks Henry not to tell anyone about his second job. Later, Henry changes the hearts of the family, allowing Thomas to quit his second job and focus on education.

Shawn Flynn (Mishima): An Irish exchange student who became a favourite punching bag for Murray Hill. He was a part of the student council for a while, only able to quit after Murray Hill has been defeated. He doesn’t want to be complicit in Hill’s abuse, but Murray kept threatening to get him suspended and even expelled. After Cordelia’s attempted suicide, Shawn goes to Henry and tells him everything. He’s extremely intelligent and knows that Henry, Wally, and Susie are the Phantom Thieves. He decides to act as the PR man, creating a website for them. He truly believes that they’re doing the right thing and wants to raise support for them. He struggles at one point with the popularity of the fansite and his desire to use it against those who bullied him. In the end, though, it’s his support and encouragement of the support of others is what helps to save the phantom thieves.

Natalia Campbell (Sae): The strict mother of Alice and Susie Campbell. Natalia is a district attorney and takes her job very seriously. She and her husband divorced years before due to Natalia’s unwillingness to give up her job. This has left Natalia to take care of her two daughters on her own, which has put quite a bit of stress on her. She has become a woman who will do anything she can to win her cases, even manipulating evidence in order to get her conviction. She recognizes the unfairness in the world and it has made her cynical and pessimistic. Her work destroyed her marriage and so she thinks she has to be the best in order to justify her decision to keep working. All this combined together created her casino palace and dishonest and cheating Shadow self. Unlike other shadows, the thieves are able to reason with her. Her daughters convince her to let go of her judges, and her heart is changed. Natalia becomes an ally to her children and the thieves.

Cordelia Bell (Shiho): A first-year member of the student council, and one of Susie’s only friends. She’s a quiet girl who mostly keeps to herself, doing the best she can to help the student council. When Murray takes over the student council for himself, she suffers sexual advances just like all the other girls. But due to her friendship with Susie, she is the one Murray takes his frustrations out on when Susie and Alice reject him for the millionth time. He rapes her, causing her to jump from the roof of the school building in attempted suicide. She survives the suicide attempt but falls into a coma until after Murray’s defeat. Once she wakes up, her family decides that she should transfer schools to avoid the rumours that will inevitably crop up. She promises to keep in touch with Susie, encouraging her to pursue her dreams of becoming a voice actress.


	2. Awakenings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The awakenings of the Phantom Thieves

As Henry sat in the car of Norman Polk, he wondered why exactly he was here. Henry wasn’t the kind of person who normally got in trouble. He kept his head down and did what he was told. That was what his whole life was about. But he just hadn’t been able to let that woman continue to be assaulted. He hunched his shoulders and leaned against the window of the car. Norman glanced at the boy seated next to him. He really hadn’t wanted to take the boy in, but Henry just looked so pathetic. The boy was naturally rather skinny, and the trial and sentencing had left him haggard and pale, his sunken eyes looking even larger than they actually were. They were on their way to the school at the moment, to drop Henry off for his first day. Norman knew Henry was in for a living Hell, more likely than not. The school hadn’t been pleased about having the boy there, and Norman assumed the students wouldn’t be too terribly kind to him either. They pulled up outside the school, and Norman unlocked the doors. 

“Well, go get ‘em, kid,” Norman said. Henry nodded, grabbing his backpack and getting out of the car. He stared up at the school for a few minutes. He didn’t want to do this. He’d seen how the students had reacted the first time he’d shown up here. Already, they were whispering and pointing as they walked by him. Henry felt panic beginning to set in. He turned around and started to run. Only to run into another boy. 

“Ow! Watch where you’re goin’!” The boy said, getting to his feet and rolling up his sleeves. 

“I-I don’t want to fight.” Henry put up his hands. “Please, I’m sorry.” The other boy squinted at Henry, running a hand through his curly hair. 

“Wait, I haven’t seen you around here before.” He said. “Are you that new kid? The one who assaulted a guy?” 

Henry’s shoulders slumped. “Yeah...That’s me.” 

“You don’t seem all that proud of it.”

“I’m not. It was all a big misunderstanding, I swear.” He didn’t want to have to explain himself again. He was just so tired. 

“Eh, I believe ya.” The other boy stuck out his hand. “I’m Wally Franks. Nice to meet ya.” Henry blinked at the offered hand. 

“Um...Nice to meet you too? Why...Why are you being nice to me?” He couldn’t really understand why Wally believed him so easily when no one else had. 

“You don’t seem like a violent guy,” Wally said. “I’m a real good judge of character.”

“Um, okay.” 

“You wanna be friends or something?” Wally asked. “No one really likes me either. Apparently, I’m a ‘troublemaker’ or somethin’.” He made finger quotes and rolled his eyes. “But us outcasts gotta look out for each other, y’know?”

“That...Thanks.” Henry smiled a little bit. “I really appreciate it.” Maybe life at this school wouldn’t be so bad now that he had a friend.

.

A half an hour later, the two of them were stuck in the dungeon of a castle that had definitely not been there before, with a tiny cartoon demon.

“Okay, before anyone says anything,” Wally said as he rattled his chains. “This was definitely not my fault. I will admit, a lot of bad things that happen  _ are _ my fault, but this is not.” 

“I’m not blaming you.” Henry sighed. 

“I am,” Bendy said. “You were too damn loud!”

“Which one of us wanted to go deeper into the castle filled with people who want to kill us?” Henry asked, shooting the little demon a withering look. 

“I needed your help, okay?” Bendy snapped back. “It’s not my fault you two can’t fight.”

“We’re high school students! We’re not supposed to know how to fight!” Wally yelled. Suddenly, a knight banged on the bars of their cell. 

“Keep it down in there!” The knight shadow barked. 

“Yes, sir.” Henry and Wally said together. 

“The king will be here soon.” The knight shadow said. “So you’d better be on your best behaviour.” It was hard to tell if it was glaring at them, given that its face was an emotionless mask. Once the shadow looked away, Wally started talking again. 

“We’re pretty fucked, aren’t we?” He whispered. Henry nodded, beginning to pale.

.

“Pathetic.” Shadow Murray spat down onto the defenceless Wally, who was then thrown against a wall. “A peasant like you isn’t worth beating. Maybe I should just have you killed right here and now.”

“Stop it!” Henry yelled. Shadow Murray turned, raising an eyebrow and smiling dangerously. 

“What? Are you going to try and tell me what to do?” He asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Who are people going to believe, kid? A delinquent? Or a highly respected teacher like me? I think you know the answer.” He winked and backhanded Henry, sending the boy to the floor. 

“Hold him there.” Shadow Murray commanded the knights. “Once the peasant dies, it’s his turn.” Henry tried to get to his feet, tried to come to Wally’s defence, but the knights held him firmly against the wall. He was powerless against them, just as he’d been powerless against that man. Henry gritted his teeth, his hands forming fists at his sides. He couldn’t let this happen! He couldn’t! Suddenly, the room went dark, and a voice echoed in his mind as a butterfly fluttered before him. 

“This is truly an unjust game...Your chances of winning are almost none.” It was a young girl speaking to him. “But if my voice is reaching you, there may yet be a possibility open to you...”

“We cannot allow this to continue.” Another voice said. It was the voice of a young man, kind in its tone and manner. “The wrongs of this world must be righted. No innocent shall be harmed while we are here. Or was your previous decision a mistake?” For a moment, the woman’s face flashed in Henry’s mind. 

“It wasn’t.” He whispered. “Helping people is never a mistake.” A knight was hoisting Wally up, a sword levelled at the boy’s head. 

“Very well...” The unseen young man said. “I have heeded your resolve. I am thou, thou art I...” A searing pain overtook Henry, causing him to cry out and struggle even harder against the knights. 

“All will be well.” The young man continued. “For ours is a righteous cause. Call upon my name, and we shall smite all evildoers!”

“Execute him!” Shadow Murray called. 

“That’s enough.” 

The room went silent as Shadow Murray turned to Henry, a sneer on his face. 

“What are you going to do about it?” The shadow asked. The knight holding Wally turned away, letting the other boy drop to the ground. 

“Well, if you really want to die that much, then we’ll execute you first.” Shadow Murray laughed. “Guards, take him!” Henry stood still as the knights flanking him crossed their lances across his throat, pinning him to the wall. The knight that had originally held Wally lifted its sword, ready to lop off Henry’s head. 

But that moment never came. Henry looked up, face set in a stony mask. The tiny cell was filled with a gust of wind, whipping at the inhabitants' hair and clothing. Only Henry stayed still, calm as a domino mask formed on his face. It had a blue and gold diamond pattern and seemed to shimmer when Henry tilted his head. Without a second thought, he ripped it off and was consumed by blue fire. Shadow Murray and the knights stumbled back a few steps as they watched the boy change before their eyes. His drab school uniform transformed itself into what appeared to be 19th-century evening wear, with a long black coat on top of it. Behind him appeared a handsome young man with blue skin and long dark hair. In his four arms, he held a mace, a conch, a disk, and a lotus flower. One flick of the young man’s hand sent the knights flying, and Shadow Murray scrambling out of the cell. Wally stared on in wonder. 

“Holy shit. This is the coolest thing I’ve ever seen.” 

.

As they ran out into the castle foyer, they found Shadow Murray waiting for them again. He sneered. 

“Oh? You’re not dead yet?” He asked. “Well, I guess I should probably fix that.”

“The school ain’t your castle!” Wally yelled, stepping forward. “I memorized their faces real good! You’re goin’ down!” Shadow Murray stared at them for a moment, then burst out laughing, hunching down and slapping his knee. 

“You’re even stupider than I thought you were, Franks!” He laughed. “You really think they’re going to come forward because  _ you _ talked to them? After all you’ve done? How far the former Class President has fallen.”

“The hell are you gettin’ at?” Wally snapped.

“Surely you haven’t forgotten so soon.” Shadow Murray cooed. “Don’t you remember how you failed your peers? How you humiliated the school so badly they bumped you down to junior janitorial duty?” Wally hunched his shoulders, pulling back. Henry looked from his new friend to Shadow Murray.

“What’s he talking about, Wally?”

“None of your business!” Wally snapped. 

“So you’ve been following the little twerp around without any idea what he’s done. Oh, how adorable.” Shadow Murray smiled wide. “You see, this boy was embezzling money from the student council treasury to use for his own personal gain. He never cared about the students he was supposed to be serving. He only wanted power.”

“That’s not true!” Wally stamped his foot. “I never embezzled nothin’ and you know it!”

Murray continued on as if Wally wasn’t even there. “You’ve come along with this fool, and now you’ll both end up dead. Your luck really must be the worst, new kid.” He waved a hand to his knights as he began to depart. “Take care of them and take them out with the trash.” Then he was gone again. The knights approached, casting off their false forms to reveal their true shadow nature. 

“Hey Wally, move your ass!” Bendy said as he and Henry stepped forward. Before the two of them could do anything, though, they were surrounded by the shadows, who proclaimed how they would kill because their king told them to. Henry and Bendy tried to fight, but there was only so much they could do. The shadows just kept coming, one after another. 

“Where the Hell are they even coming from?!” The little demon stamped his foot like a petulant child. 

“There’s no end to them,” Henry said, wiping some blood away from his mouth. They couldn’t win this and they knew it. Before too long, they two of them lay defeated on the floor. Shadow Murray stood above them, having been called back upon their defeat. Bendy summoned up every curse word he knew, screaming and railing against the shadow who currently had him pinned. Henry was at the foot of another shadow. It was just like before. He had no power. Dammit, he’d awakened his persona for something, hadn’t he?!

“Aren’t you going to do something, Wally?” Shadow Murray asked the other boy. “Or did you just come here on a whim?”

“No...” Wally shook his head, pulling his paperboy hat down over his face. “It wasn’t supposed to be like this!”

“Watch yourself.” Shadow Murray chided him. “You’d best not get too emotional or you might end up hurting someone. You should never have tried to fight me. I was kind in supervising the student council. You should have been grateful.”

“You weren’t supervisin’ nothin’!” Wally slammed his fist onto the floor. “You were just there to hit on the girls and take the treasury money!”

“You brats were just going to put it to waste.  _ I _ used the money for the right things.” Shadow Murray waved a hand dismissively. “And that previous advisor was useless too. Had he not opposed me with a sound argument, I would have settled for taking out his favourite class president.” Wally went still, then looked up with wide eyes. 

“What?”

“Do you want me to get you expelled this time? I’m sure the school will back me up no matter what I do.”

Wally gritted his teeth, drawing into himself. “Am I gonna lose again?” He muttered. “Not only does nobody take me seriously anymore, but I been reduced to nothin’ but a janitor!” 

“Geez. Tough break, kid.” Bendy said. 

“Once these two are dealt with, you’re next.” Shadow Murray said, digging his heel into Bendy’s back. Henry caught Wally’s eye and stared at the other boy. 

“You can’t let him win.” He said calmly as if he wasn’t pinned under a giant knight’s foot. “You’re  _ better _ than this, I know you are!” For a moment, Wally hesitated. Then he looked defiantly up at Shadow Murray.

“You’re right,” Wally said. “This jackass took away everything important to me!”

“Stay there and watch.” Shadow Murray said. “Look on as these hopeless scum die for nothing because they sided with trash like you.”

“Oh fuck the Hell no!” Wally got to his feet, his hands shaking at his sides. “That’s what you are! All you ever do is use people!  _ You’re  _ the trash!” He started towards Shadow Murray, limping slightly because of the wall he’d been slammed into earlier. 

“What are you doing?” Shadow Murray demanded, looking to his knights. “Silence him!”

“You think I’m just gonna get outta here like usual?” Wally pointed an accusing finger at Shadow Murray. “Not this time! You don’t get to look down at me anymore!”

“You made me wait quite a while.” Suddenly a voice began to speak in Wally’s mind, causing the janitor to fall to the ground and clutch his hands to his head as a sudden pain seared through his body. 

“You want power, don’t you, boy?” The voice continued as Wally writhed on the floor. “Then let us form a pact! Your name has been disgraced! This must be remedied! The ‘other you’ who exists within desires retribution for your pain! I am thou, thou art I...Wear the skulls of your enemies as your pride!” Wally looked up, revealing he now wore a black skull mask. 

“Hmph! What can you do?” One of the knights scoffed and raised its sword. “Cower and watch!” Wally got to his feet, struggling with the mask. For some reason, he felt as though he needed to rip it off. When he did, the same blue fire that had consumed Henry consumed him as well. The wind whipped through the foyer, blowing back Shadow Murray and the knights. When the fire faded, Wally stood there with a man floating behind him. The man was built like a brick wall, wearing what Henry assumed to be Viking clothing, with flaming red hair and a beard. He held a shield in one hand and a large hammer in the other. Wally himself wore what could only be described as a punk outfit, with a leather jacket, tight black pants, and a red neck scarf. In addition, he had knuckle dusters, which was pretty cool.

“Not this one too!” Shadow Murray groaned. 

“YES! FUCK YEAH!” Wally pumped his fist in this air. “Which one did I get?” He turned around to take in his persona. “Oh! The hammer guy!”

“Thor.” Henry supplied. 

“Right on!” Wally grinned as widely as he possibly could. “Now, it’s time for a little bit of retribution.” He cracked his knuckles, turning his gaze to Shadow Murray. 

“Looks like you’re not so useless after all,” Bendy said, getting to his feet. Henry did the same, smiling at Wally. 

“Let’s do this!”

.

“This is bullshit!” Susie yelled, struggling against her bonds. “I’ll call the cops on you! I really will!” The knights on either side of her just watched intently, giving no indication of what they were thinking or feeling. 

“So...This is the intruder.” Shadow Murray strode in, looking just as confident as he did in real life. Right behind him were girls, dressed in bikinis, one resembling Susie and the other resembling Alice. Susie immediately stopped struggling. 

“M-Mr. Hill?” She stammered. “And who the fuck are they?! Wait...No...” She shook her head. “That’s not important...Where the Hell are we? Why did the school turn into something like this?!”

“I can’t believe you mistook my little Susiebell for someone like her.” Shadow Murray sneered, pulling Shadow Susie close to him. Susie bristled at that. 

“No one calls me Susiebell but my sister!” She tried to jump at him.

“Are you afraid?” Shadow Murray asked.

“What is that outfit?” Susie wrinkled her nose. “Have you lost your mind?”

“I do what I like here.” Shadow Murray gestured grandly around the room. “This place is my castle, after all.”

“What the- Is this some kind of red light district?!” Susie sputtered. Shadow Murray just laughed, pulling Shadow Alice and Shadow Susie closer to him. 

“This isn’t funny!” Susie stamped her foot. “Cut the bullshit!”

“Oooh. She’s telling me off.” Shadow Murray looked to Shadow Susie. “What do you think about that?”

“Talking back is, like, totally unforgivable!” Shadow Susie chirped, rubbing up against Shadow Murray’s arm. 

“Good girls keep their mouths shut.” Shadow Alice echoed.

“In that case, she should be executed.” Shadow Murray said. The knights surrounded the poor girl. Susie shrunk back, biting back a whimper. She couldn’t let this piece of trash know she was scared! 

“Now then, how should I play with you?” Shadow Murray stroked his chin thoughtfully. “Should I tear you into little pieces? Or maybe I should take you apart, piece by piece, to see how you work.”

“Are you kidding me?” Susie said. There was no way out of this, and she knew it. No one knew she was here, wherever here was. No one was coming to save her. No one ever did. 

Meanwhile, Wally, Henry, and Bendy had just reached Susie’s prison themselves.And what they found was disgusting. 

“This is fucked up,” Wally said, looking around the room at all the topless girls. “Is this what he thinks of the student council girls?!”

“These are  _ all  _ the female student council members?” Henry asked, almost unable to believe what he was hearing. To think a teacher could see his students in such a perverted light. 

“The Campbell sisters are the only ones who are missing,” Wally said. 

“Hey, that’s-” Bendy pointed further into the room, where Susie was tied up before Shadow Murray. 

“Susie!” Wally immediately ran over. 

“Oh good, the rats are back.” Shadow Murray rolled his eyes. 

“Wally?! What are  _ you  _ doing here?!” Susie asked. “And why are you dressed like that?!”

“Let her go,” Henry said, staring intently at Shadow Murray. “Or else.” Shadow Murray laughed, separating himself from the shadows of Susie and Alice. 

“Or else what? You’ll destroy me? As if that will ever happen.” He glanced back at Susie. “You’re just like them, aren’t you? You came here because you blame me for something. Probably that girl who jumped, right? It’s your fault, you know.” Susie’s eyes widened, and for a moment she stopped struggling, just staring at Shadow Murray with her mouth wide open. 

“You and your sister wouldn’t play nicely, so I had her take your place.” Shadow Murray continued. Susie started to shake, redoubling her efforts to get free. 

“YOU BASTARD! I’LL KILL YOU! I’LL RIP YOUR THROAT OUT FOR WHAT YOU DID TO HER!!” She screamed. Her wrists rubbed against the cuffs, beginning to chafe and break the skin. Soon her wrists were slick with blood, but she didn’t care. He’d raped Cordelia. He’d made her jump. He was going to pay for this. Pay pay pay pay pay! Even as the knights crossed their swords under her chin she didn’t stop. All she saw was red, all she heard was her own heartbeat. Soon she was left panting, having gotten absolutely nowhere. Tears began to well up in the corners of her eyes. She was doomed, wasn’t she? She was vaguely aware of one of the knights levelling a sword at her neck. So this was it. She was going to die in this place. 

“Is this my punishment for what happened to Cordelia?” She whispered. 

“That’s more like it!” Shadow Murray began to clap. “You should have looked like this from the start.”

“Cordelia...I’m so sorry.” Susie hung her head. 

“You’re just going to give in?” Henry’s voice pierced the tense silence, causing Susie to look at him. “You’re a lot stronger than that, Susie. I know you are. Don’t let him get away with what he’s done.” For a moment, Susie just stared at him. Then her expression darkened. 

“You’re right.” She said. “He won’t get away with this.”

“You’re nothing but a little girl.” Shadow Murray said. “They’ll never believe-”

“Shut up.” Susie turned to glare at him. “I’ve had enough of this. You’ve pissed me off, you son of a bitch!”

“My...It’s taken far too long.” A woman’s voice slid into Susie’s mind, causing her to begin to writhe in pain. “Tell me...Who is going to avenge her if you don’t? Forgiving him was never an option. Such is the scream of the other you that dwells within...I am thou, thou art I...We can finally forge a contract...”

“I hear you...Ishtar.” Susie whispered, her body going still. As she looked up, a mask with an eight-pointed star on the front appeared on her face. “You’re right. No more holding back!” As she made this declaration, a blue fire began to appear on her as well, freeing her from the chains. 

“There you go...” Ishtar said. “Nothing can be solved by restraining yourself, understand? Then I’ll gladly lend you my strength.” Susie stood tall and ripped off her mask. The blue fire consumed her as it had the other two, and when it faded Susie stood flanked by a beautiful woman. Ishtar was dressed in beautiful shining golden armour, an eight-pointed star upon her breastplate, with her long dark hair cascading from under her helmet. She sat atop a lion, gazing coolly down at the inhabitants of the room. Susie wore armour similar to Ishtar’s with forearm guards, a breastplate, and shin guards, as well as a long-sleeved white dress, golden tiara, and knee-high brown boots. Drawing a sword from her hip, Susie charged the nearest knight, knocking it to the ground before facing the shadows of herself and her sister. 

“You are not me.” She snarled. “And you are not my sister.” Then she slashed both of them. The shadows dissipated into nothing but darkness. Shadow Murray stumbled away, looking absolutely terrified. Susie turned her attention towards him next. 

“I’m not some cheap girl you can toy with you scumbag!” She dragged the sword on the floor.

“Bitch!” Shadow Murray spat. He was protected by a knight, but there were four of the thieves now. 

Susie stood tall and proud, flanked by Henry and Wally. “You stole everything from Cordelia...You destroyed her...Now it’s your turn!” She pointed at Shadow Murray. “I will rob you of everything!”

.

They ran for the museum exit, certain the shadow guards weren’t far behind. As they ran, two shadow guards appeared, blocking their path.

“The exit is right there!” Bendy yelled, stamping his foot and muttering some very colourful words that a tiny cartoon demon definitely should not know. The group ground to a halt, their progress stopped by the guards. Laughter echoed through the room, and Shadow Sebastian Sangster stepped into the room. Honestly, he looked like a Renaissance Faire cosplayer. He was probably trying to look like Michelangelo or Da Vinci or something. 

“Who is it?!” Susie turned around quickly, then her eyes widened. “What the-”

“Talk about bullshit clothes.” Wally rolled his eyes. “First a king, now some kind of Ren Faire reject?”

“Welcome to the museum of the master artist Sebastian Sangster!” Shadow Sebastian announced, gesturing grandly.

“Sir? Is that you?” Sammy took a shaking step forward. “You look...”

“Disgusting.” Susie turned her nose up at the attire. 

“This...This is all one big lie, isn’t it?” The normally stoic Sammy looked genuinely shaken. Henry could understand why Sammy was upset. This man had taken him in and raised him from the time he’d been a small child. Even if Sebastian was a bastard, he’d still been Sammy’s only parental figure his entire life. It was hard to deny that the man had at least a little talent in the musical arts, even if he lacked it in painting.

“My usual ragged attire is nothing but an act.” Shadow Sebastian said. “Besides, a famous person living in  _ that _ shack? I have another home...under a mistress’ name, of course.”

“You should be ashamed of yourself,” Henry said. 

“Don’t make me laugh!” Shadow Sebastian began to laugh. 

“If the “Lily” was stolen, why was it in the storage room?” Sammy demanded. “And if you had the real one, why make copies? If it’s really you, sir, please tell me!”

“Foolish child.” Shadow Sebastian sneered. “You still don’t see? The painting being stolen was just a false rumour I spread! It was all a perfectly calculated staging!”

Sammy’s eyes widened. “What do you mean?”

“Let me see...” Shadow Sebastian tapped his chin. “How does this sound? ‘I found the real painting, but it can’t go public. You can have it for a special price, though’.” He laughed. “How’s that for preferential treatment? Art snobs’ll eat it up, and pay good cash at that!”

“No.” Sammy fell to his knees. 

“The worth of art is purely subjective.” Shadow Sebastian continued. “Thus, this is a legitimate business transaction! Though I doubt a brat like you would ever come up with such a brilliant scheme!”

“You keep goin’ on and on about money this, money that,” Wally said. “No wonder you ended up with this disgusting museum!”

“You’re supposed to be an artist, right?!” Susie spat. “Aren’t you ashamed of plagiarizing other people’s works?!”

“Art is nothing but a tool.” Shadow Sebastian scoffed. “A tool to gain fame and money!” He looked down at Sammy. “You helped me greatly as well, Samuel.”

“Don’t call me Samuel,” Sammy said weakly. 

“ _ That’s _ your teacher, Sammy,” Wally said. “Jesus. What a creep.”

“But what about the people who believe in you?” Sammy looked desperately up at the man who he’d once looked up to. “What about your love of the arts?”

“I’ll tell you this alone, Samuel.” Shadow Sebastian said. “If you wish to succeed in this world, I’d suggest you don’t rise against me. Do you really think anyone could find success with my objection holding them down?” He threw his head back and began to laugh. Sammy got very quiet, just staring at the ground.

“So it was all a lie.” He said. “You never actually cared about art or music the way I do. You never cared about  _ me _ .”

“You thought I took you in out of the goodness of my heart?” Shadow Sebastian asked. “Plucking talented, yet troubled artists allows me to find promising pupils and take their ideas. After all, it’s much easier to steal the futures of children who can’t fight back.”

“I can’t believe this.” Sammy’s voice was hollow, devoid of any anger or even despair. 

“Livestock are killed for their hide and meat! This is no different, you fool!” Shadow Sebastian yelled. It was almost as if Sammy’s lack of reaction was stirring him up. He quickly regained his composure though. “But I tire of this little chat. It’s time that I-”

“You are unforgivable.” 

“Hm?”

Sammy stood up, his whole body shaking with barely contained rage. “This whole time,” he said. “I thought you felt the same way about music and art that I did. I thought you did everything just for the sake of sharing it with other people. But you...You are unforgivable. An unrepentant cheater, liar, and filthy thief!”

“So, you repay my keeping you around for all these years with ingratitude?” Shadow Sebastian sniffed. “You truly are a brat. Men! Dispose of these thieves!” The shadow guards began to approach them, but Sammy kept staring at Shadow Sebastian, biting his lip so hard that he’d drawn blood. Then he was still, a smile beginning to cross his face. 

“I’m going to destroy you.” He said. “I will take everything you love and I will burn it to the ground, and then I will come for you.” The young composer began to laugh, wiping his mouth and smearing the from his lip onto his face. “I can’t believe I was blind for so long. I should have seen your cowardice and evil sooner. I am Mozart! And you are nothing but a jealous Salieri!”

“Have you finally come to your senses?” A man’s voice echoed in Sammy’s mind, causing the boy to clutch at his head. “How foolishly you averted your eyes from the truth. A deplorable imitation indeed...Best you part from that aspect of yourself!” Sammy fell to the ground, nails scratching against the floor of the museum as he tried to keep himself together. His nails pressed down so hard that they began to bleed. “Let us now forge a contract. I am thou, thou art I. The world is filled with both beauty and vice. It is time you teach people which is which!” Sammy abruptly looked up, a mask having formed on his face. ( [ This ](https://img0.etsystatic.com/105/0/5895183/il_fullxfull.1025368168_hlxf.jpg) .)

“Very well,” Sammy said, now completely calm despite the fact that his fingers were literally bleeding. “Come, Oberon!” Then he ripped off the mask. The same wind that had filled the room during the awakening of the other three blew through the museum hall as a white light consumed everything. Once the light faded, Sammy stood tall, dressed like an 18th-century nobleman. Behind him floated a handsome, dark-haired young man. The young man had butterfly wings, a crown, and wore kingly regalia. 

“You know what they say about faeries. They can be quite fickle.” Sammy said with a smirk. “And I do believe you’ve earned the ire of this one.” With a flick of his wrist, the shadow guards were turned to ice, shattering as they fell to the ground.

“Man, kid’s got skill.” Bendy whistled. “Wouldn’t want to get on his bad side.”

“Who do you think you are?!” Shadow Sebastian yelled, stamping his foot. “The price for your insolence will be death! Kill them!” More shadow guards appeared, advancing on the teenagers.

Sammy shook his head, still smirking. “I should be saying that to you, ‘Father’. For blaspheming the sacred art of music, you will perish!”

“You got this?” Henry asked. 

“Of course,” Sammy said. 

.

The thieves ran towards the exit of the bank in a panic. They couldn’t get caught by the shadows. Who knew what would happen if they got caught by the shadow of such a vicious man. But shadow guards appeared in front of the exit as well.

“There’s no end to them!” Susie said as the group screeched to a halt.

“Guys!” Alice clung to her sister. For once, she seemed scared. Susie didn’t want to admit that this scared her as well. Alice was always a pillar of strength, never wavering, never showing fear.

“You seem to be in quite a pickle.” The thieves turned to behold Shadow Victor Zima. Zima was dressed in an immaculate white suit, his hair slicked back and a thin pencil moustache on his upper lip. 

“Nice,” Bendy said. “Sneaking around like a common crook.”

“Those would be my words.” Shadow Zima said. “However, I do thank you for providing me with such wonderful goods. It’s time you disappear.” He clapped his hands and more shadow guards appeared, advancing on the thieves. Alice gasped, clinging tighter to Susie’s arm.

“Managing a bank is tough.” Shadow Zima kept talking as if he wasn’t about to kill them. “That’s why I make it a case to kill troublesome customers. Having one impertinent brat disappear is enough to set an example in that other world.”

“Please stop!” Alice let go of Susie, stepping forward to attempt to take a stand. 

“I’ll eliminate others besides my goods. You and your sister have no need to worry.” Shadow Zima said, then a leer crossed his face. “Your mother’s quite a beauty though. I’ll make sure to make her my personal slave.”

“You leave Mom alone!” Susie snapped. 

“Once I get bored, I’ll sell her off.” Shadow Zima continued. “Oh, poor Mom. She could have been successful if only her daughter wasn’t so dumb.”

“Our mother has nothing to do with this!” Alice yelled. 

“Then you better start taking customers tomorrow.” Shadow Zima said. “All you gotta do is endure it and do as you’re told.”

“Endure it. Do as I’m told.” Alice repeated weakly. 

“You’ll earn 3 thousand dollars in no time.” Shadow Zima said, a cruel smile playing on his lips. “Although, your life and everything along with it will be a complete wreck by then!” He began to laugh, but Alice cut him off. 

“I’ve been listening to you go on and on.” She said, her whole body beginning to shake. “Shut your damn mouth, you money grubbing asshole!”

“Huh?” Shadow Zima looked taken aback by the response. 

“Have you decided to tread the path of strife?” A woman’s voice whispered in Alice’s mind.

“Yes. Come to me!” Alice glared in defiance at the shadow of the mobster. 

“Very well. Let us proceed with our contract at once.” The woman said. “I am thou, thou art I. You have finally found your own justice. Please, never lose sight of it again.” Like with all the others, Alice clutched at her head, but she did not fall to her knees. Instead, Alice stamped her foot, the ground splintering and cracking under her feet as she stumbled forward. A mask had formed on her face, black and ringed with white feathers. ( [ This ](https://i.pinimg.com/736x/52/a0/cc/52a0cc0c1866067466905eb2ceb77575--mask-making-mask-ideas.jpg) )

“This memorable day marks your graduation from your false self.” And with that, Alice wrenched the mask free of her face, screaming at the sky as she did. As in the others’ awakenings, wind and fire filled the room, obscuring Alice from sight. When the fire and wind faded, Alice stood defiantly with her persona at her back. Isis floated behind Alice, a wing covering her mouth in amusement. Alice’s outfit looked a bit impractical for fighting, in all honesty. She had black heels, a sleeveless black dress with a little white bow on the front, and black opera gloves. But still, she stood tall and proud. 

“I can feel it,” Alice said, putting a hand on her chest. “My ‘self’. Me!” She turned to Shadow Zima and flourished her arm. Isis raised her wings, more wind buffeting through the bank hallway, blowing the shadow guards away. Alice smiled, the perfect picture of an angel. 

“Wow, nice!” Susie said. For a moment, Shadow Zima looked genuinely afraid. Then he shook his head, straightened his suit jacket, and turned away. 

“You better earn your keep,” he snarled. “Or else I’ll kill you.” The shadow guards nodded, advancing towards the thieves. 

“I will not lose heart again, ever,” Alice said. “My wings have spread, and I’m ready to fly!”

.

In the strange binary scape, Allison knelt with her head in her hands. She was crying as the memories of her mother’s suicide swirled in her mind. Her shadow stood above her, clad in the garb of an Egyptian princess, or at least what appeared to be an Egyptian princess costume.

“You’re the reason she committed suicide.” Her shadow said. “You were just getting in the way of her research.” Shadow Allison paused for a moment. “Why did you think it was suicide?”

“Because of the note,” Allison said, hunching her shoulders.

“Exactly.” Shadow Allison nodded definitively. “The men in black suits read her suicide note to you, and what was written on it?”

“All of her complaints...about me.”

“Yes. The shock and the pain led you to avert your eyes. But they kept reading it aloud in front of your relatives.” Shadow Allison knelt beside her real counterpart, forcing her face up so that their eyes met. “Think hard. Was that suicide note real? Would the mother who loved you so much truly have written that? Did she ever say such horrible things to you?”

“No.” Allison’s eyes widened as realization struck her. “She scolded me whenever I had tantrums, but she cared for me!” She got to her feet. 

“Then what about the suicide note?” Her shadow asked. 

“A total lie!” Allison stamped her foot. 

“You were used! They forged her suicide note and laid the blame upon you!” Her shadow sounded angry, despite the completely emotionless face. “They trampled all over your young heart! Get mad! Don’t forgive those rotten adults!”

“It’s because I couldn’t face myself, or Mom’s death,” Allison said, frowning. “Even then, why did they have to yell at me like that?!”

Back on top of the pyramid, Allison struggled to her feet. 

“Allison?” Susie asked, immediately rushing to the younger girl’s side. Allison seemed like she was stable again but quickly faltered again, clutching her hands to her head once more. 

“What denies you is an illusion.” The voice of a young woman whispered. “A curse put upon you by the heartless. You knew from the very beginning. And yet, you cowered in fear.”

“That’s right, I knew, but I....” Allison whispered, stumbling back. 

“It’s all your fault! This time you’ll be the one to die!” Shadow Helen shrieked. 

“Will you die as you are told?” The young woman asked. “Who will you obey? Cursed words spat out by a seething illusion? Or the truth within your own soul?”

“It’s your fault! It’s all your fault!” Shadow Helen kept yelling, flapping her wings hard enough to almost send the thieves flying. 

“I won’t let those distorted lies deceive me anymore,” Allison said, standing up a little taller. “And I won’t be led astray by other’s voices either. I’m going to trust my own eyes and my own heart to distinguish the truth from the lies.” She stared down the cognitive version of her mother. “There’s no way you’re my mom! You’re just a fake created by those horrid adults! I’ll...I’ll never...I’ll never forgive them!” Behind Allison her shadow rose up, turning into a ball of light that nearly blinded everyone on the pyramid. When the light faded, Allison sat in the lap of a giant woman clad in a toga. Before her was a gigantic loom with a tapestry on it.

“Contract.” The woman said. “I am thou, thou art I. The forbidden wisdom has been revealed. No mysteries, no illusions shall deceive you any longer.”

“Allison?” Alice asked. “Are you alright?”

“I’m okay,” Allison assured her with a smile. 

“Look at that.” Bendy whistled. “That’s one big lady.” Henry rolled his eyes, slapping the back of the demon’s head. 

“Please, help me,” Allison said, gesturing to the cognitive version of her mother. “That’s gotta go.” 

.

The walk through the hallways of Ansgar’s palace was quiet. None of the thieves were really sure how to act around Boris. Boris wasn’t sure how to act around them. Everyone was just uncomfortable and unsure what to do.

“By the way, you seemed real fired up back when we first met.” Wally said. “Was that an act Bendy put you up to? Y’know...the whole Tuxedo mask thing?”

“That was...Um...” Boris shifted uncomfortably, his cheeks turning red. “I was trying to be a hero of justice.”

“Uh...Is that a joke?” Wally frowned a little. 

“You’re a moron.” Susie rolled her eyes. Sammy snorted, holding his fist out for Susie’s to fist bump. Susie bumped her fist against his.

“Ever since I was young, people around me have never seen me for who I really am,” Boris said, fidgeting with his gloves. “They would be kind to me just to please my father and would get money and presents in exchange. Adults, teachers, even friends...It seemed like everyone smiled at me for their own personal gain.”

“That’s why you kept the details of your family a secret at school,” Alice concluded. 

“But the superheroes I used to see on TV were so great!” Boris continued, his face lighting up. “They always fought for others, not themselves. And they were always happy. I wanted to be just like that!” His face fell a little. “Even though I knew it was just a fantasy...I still looked up to them.”

“Everyone goes wild over heroes at some point,” Wally said, shrugging. 

“You seem like a nice enough person,” Sammy admitted. “I think you’ll make a fine addition to the team.”

“I completely agree,” Henry said with a smile. 

“What are you doing here?!” They were suddenly distracted by the voice of Shadow Ansgar. He stepped into view, dressed like some kind of weird space opera villain. 

“Huh? Huh?!” Boris stumbled back. 

“This is insane on so many levels,” Susie said.

“I thought I told you not to associate with vulgar people!” Shadow Ansgar snapped at his son. Behind him, the shadow of Karen Wheeler had appeared, snapping her gum and twirling her hair lazily.

“That bitch!” Wally snarled at the appearance of Shadow Karen.

“Her?! Did she come into the Palace too?!” Boris began to wring his hands again, shrinking when faced with the shadows of the two people ruining his life. 

“She might look the same, but that ain’t a real person,” Bendy said. “Remember what I told ya earlier, buddy?”

“You mean about cognition?” Boris asked. 

“What are you mumbling about?” Shadow Ansgar demanded. 

“Do you remember what I said to you before?” Boris asked, taking a deep breath and stepping forward. “That I would do my best for you? This is my answer to that!”

“Are those...the rumoured Phantom Thieves?” Shadow Ansgar raised an eyebrow. “I see. You’re handing them over as a plea for forgiveness!” He began to laugh. “‘Overcome failure at any cost, even if it means betraying others.’ You truly embody the Wulfric motto! Very well. Join me!”

“Why do you only ever think about gains and losses?!” Boris asked. “That’s why the company has a bad reputation! Because you treat people like tools!”

“To gain, you must give.” Shadow Ansgar said as if he were addressing a child. “One must be resolved to give even more if they wish to stand above others. We are on vastly different levels. And soon, I will rise to a new stage. The political world!” A demented grin spread across the man’s face. “The cold reality of kicking people down is part of the business! Virtue and sentiment are for losers! Wulfric Foods shall be the foundation of my victory!” 

“His company is just a stepping stone.” Alice wrinkled her nose and shook her head. 

“Mr Wulfric, we, like, totally don’t need a man who’s been sullied by thieves.” Shadow Karen said, flipping her hair. “Unless you make some compromise, I’m not gonna be able to introduce him to my Daddy.” 

“He needn’t be your lawful husband anymore.” Shadow Ansgar waved a hand dismissively. “Take him as your lover, or whatever it is you desire.”

“Kay-kay.” Shadow Karen grinned, blowing a big bubble. “Sounds like a deal.”

“Lover?” Boris’ whole body began to shake. “I....I did everything you asked me to. I even accepted a political marriage for you...This is not what we discussed! You want me to be that girl’s plaything just to satisfy your own ambitions?!”

“Why fret?” Shadow Ansgar asked. “You’re fulfilling your duty as a Wulfric son. You can take a mistress of your own if you like. All that matters is that you stay with her. For the good of the company.”

“So, even the life of his son is nothing but a commodity to him,” Sammy said, his disgust plain on his face. 

“I....” Boris fell to his knees.

“Come on.” Shadow Karen said, sashaying forward. “You’re gonna be my newest toy~” In an instant, she was transformed into a robot, just like the others who populated Ansgar’s Palace. 

“Let’s have fun!” The robot said. “I’ll play with you until I get bored! A high school fiancee! What a turn on!” It towered above the trembling Boris, whose eyes were firmly glued to the ground.

“So vulgar.” He whispered. 

“No! Boris’ Persona won’t stand a chance again that-” Bendy tried to run forward to protect his friend, but Allison stopped him. 

“Don’t worry.” She said. “She hadn’t awakened to her real power, that’s all.” Robot Karen lifted its arms and slammed them down, a flash of light consuming the room. When it faded, a man stood over Boris, blocking Robot Karen’s arms from hitting him. It was a man with a jackal for a head, dressed in Egyptian clothing and carrying a set of scales. Anubis. Boris got to his feet, tears in his eyes. 

“How dare you!” Robot Karen screeched. Boris opened his mouth to retort but quickly stopped, his hands flying to his head as he collapsed to the ground again. 

“I see you’ve finally made up your mind, my dear little prince.” Anubis’ voice boomed inside Boris’ head. “Freedom for you must stem from betrayal. If you still yearn for it now, then you must not err. The guilty must be punished. Now tell me, who shall you betray?” 

“My heart has been set,” Boris said through gritted teeth as he got to his feet. “You should know.” 

The jackal-headed god laughed softly. “I can finally display my true strength. I am thou, thou art I. Let us celebrate your freedom by cutting ties with those who would harm you.” The god’s scales began to glow, and at his side appeared the monster Ammit. 

“Geez!” Wally stumbled back a little. 

“Farewell, dear Father.” Boris adopted a pose reminiscent of Tuxedo Mask. “I am no longer your subservient puppet!”

“Then so be it. You’re worthless.” Shadow Ansgar said, turning and beginning to walk away. “Deal with them how you wish.” Robot Karen stomped forward, prepared for battle. 

“You poor thing.” It said. “I’ll toy with you until you break!”

“Well, it looks like that one’s not going to listen to reason,” Sammy said with a smirk.

“Uh-huh. We should’ve just told you this from the start, asshat.” Wally said. 

“We are the Phantom Thieves, here to take your groom!” Bendy folded his arms, leaning against Boris. 

.

“Damn it!” Joey collapsed to his knees in the hull of the ship. 

“So. Kid can turn people psychotic.” Bendy said. “I thought it was some special thing, like the Nav, but it turns out it’s just his Persona’s power.”

“I can’t believe that the ability to control and drive others mad was born from within his heart,” Alice said. 

“I’ll kill you!” Joey yelled, trying to force himself to his feet. “You’ll all die for taking Henry from me! You ruined all of my plans!”

“Will you please stop?” Susie was almost begging. “You’re fighting the wrong people! We both hate the same guy! Why do we have to go against each other?!”

“Killing us won’t make you happy,” Alice said calmly. “And it won’t make Henry love you.”

“If you all go away, then everything will be fine!” Joey snapped. 

“This ain’t about what Heidrich says!” Wally said. “You’re your own person! You gotta know that!”

“Damn it!” Joey slammed his fist into the ground. 

“You know...Sometimes I think about that fake Medjed you guys set up.” Allison said quietly. “That was the worst trap, but if not for that, I wouldn’t be here right now.” She suddenly flushed and stumbled back on her words. “Uhh, basically, it doesn’t matter where you start over!”

“And...You love Henry, right?” Bendy was quiet, almost serious. “You’d never kill your best friend, would you?”

“Joey, please, you have to listen to me.” Henry stepped forward. “You can’t do this. You can’t just hurt everyone around you because you’re jealous. It’s not right. I-”

“Shut up, shut up, shut up!” Joey shrieked, stumbling to his feet. “Why am I inferior to you?! I was extremely particular about my life, my grades, my public image, so you would want me back! But it’s still not enough! You still don’t want me!”

“Joey...” Boris whispered. 

“Even now!” Joey kept screaming. “Even now that you’re criminal trash living in an attic! Why am I not good enough for you, Henry?! How can these worthless pieces of trash be better than me?!”

“You need to stop.” Henry kept his voice calm and even. “Look inside yourself. You know why I cut ties with you, Joey.”

“Don’t give me that cliche bullshit!” Joey snapped. For an instant, his princely costume changed to a darker costume. Then it was normal again. 

“What was that?!” Alice gasped. 

“A black mask.” Sammy’s eyes narrowed. Shadow Sebastian had said something about a man in a black mask. 

“Then you’re the man Shadow Zima was talking about,” Bendy said. “The one exploiting the palace’s of others.”

“So, you were behind the mental shutdowns all along,” Alice said.

“Oh, this is great.” Joey started to laugh. “I’m surprised. This is actually a first for me. I might even have to try my hardest against you. You know, I just came up with a fun little idea. I wonder how far I can go with this.”

“Fun?” Alice took a step back. 

“You wanted to see my power, didn’t you?” Joey asked, a deranged smile playing on his face. “Fine. I’ll show them to you!” He laughed dementedly. “I’ve never felt like this before! You’re right. I don’t give a damn about Heidrich’s acknowledgement. All I care about now is killing you. If I can’t have you, Henry, no one can!” He smiled again, eyes wide and wild. “Here. I’ll show you who I really am. Come. Lucifer!” 

Instead of blue fire or light, red fire and darkness consumed Joey. Lucifer sprung forth again, only his appearance had changed. Instead of the angelic young man clothed in a white toga, it was a black winged figure with curling ram’s horns and black armour. 

“That Persona again!” Sammy said. 

“What’s going on?!” Boris clung to Bendy. 

“Don’t make me laugh!” Joey said as the darkness bled away, revealing an almost demonic looking outfit. His body was covered in chains, with wicked looking claws at the end of his gloves.“Justice? Righteousness? Keep that shit to yourselves! You and your teammates piss me off!”

“He can use two separate powers?!” Bendy sputtered. “Kid was deceiving us from the beginning!”

“You’re going down. I’ll destroy you.” Joey muttered. “Go down with me!” A red light consumed the boy who had once been Henry’s closest friend. 

“No way!” Susie said. 

“That bastard! He made himself go psychotic!” Wally said. 

The darkness finally subsided, and Joey stood there, laughing maniacally. “Now! Let’s see you drop dead one at a time, in front of your precious friends!” 

“Well, he’s lost it,” Bendy said. “Looks like we’re in for a fight.” Henry could only gaze helplessly at Joey. He hadn’t wanted it to end like this. He’d wanted to save him.

“DIE!!” 

.

As the approval rating for the Phantom Thieves climbed on the Phan site, the thieves stared down Yaldabaoth. Henry took off his mask, stepping forward. Vishnu was summoned forth, chains forming around Henry and the god. In one fluid movement, Henry snapped the chains in two. A light burst forth as Vishnu smiled softly and vanished. The other thieves looked on in worry and wonder. 

“So you have failed to harness the power,” Yaldabaoth said. “No matter how many prayers of those foolish masses come together- Hm?” The deity paused as thunder rumbled through the blackening sky. 

“What the-?” Susie and the others could only stare at what was unfolding. Behind Henry, in the sky, a woman was forming. She was beautiful, with long dark hair spilling down her back and over her shoulders. Around her neck she wore a necklace of skulls, upon her head was a golden crown, and in each of her four arms, she held a sabre. 

“That’s-” Sammy couldn’t even get out the rest of the sentence, only able to behold the splendour of Kali in awe. 

“Man, she’s huge!” Wally said. 

“What an immense power,” Bendy said. “There’s no way she’s a Persona!” Below the thieves, the sky began to clear, allowing the people below to see what was happening. There were various gasps of wonderment, as well as cheers for the thieves. They felt their injuries melt away, allowing them to stand tall and proud. 

“Fools!” Yaldabaoth boomed. “This is why man is doomed!” It sent forth an attack, but the waves of control simply slipped off the thieves, leaving them unharmed. 

“Impossible!” 

At the sight of the thieves shrugging off the attacks, the cheers grew, until the encouragement was almost deafening. 

Bendy grinned. “I see. If control becomes too oppressive, it’s up to chaos and change to fix things. There’s no better finale for a Trickster.” He looked at the tall boy beside him. “We’re entrusting our strength and the people’s hopes to you. Knock ‘em dead, kid.” Henry glanced at the demon beside him and smiled slightly. 

“I’ll do my best.” He said. Then he turned his attention back to Yaldabaoth, standing taller than he ever had before. “Destroy him, Kali!” He lifted his hand as an indication for her to get ready. 

“In the end, all things must change.” Kali raised her swords. “That is the nature of time.” 

“Begone,” Henry whispered, his gaze hardening. 

“Preposterous!” Yaldabaoth scoffed. “You dare rob the people’s wishes?!” 

“This is not what the people want,” Henry said, then dropped his hand. The swords flashed and then embedded themselves into Yaldabaoth. The so-called god faltered and fell, destroyed. It was finally over. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally got this out! It took me forever! Would you guys like to see more of this? I love this AU and it would be fun to write more in it.

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally a prompt by MsFaust which I got REALLY into, as you can tell.


End file.
